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Visualizer

Version 0.2.0.

This extension embeds Lichtblick, an open-source visualization tool, in a Bringup panel — most of what you see once it's open is Lichtblick's own interface, not something specific to Bringup.

What it does​

Visualizer opens recorded or live robotics data for inspection: MCAP files and ROS bag recordings play back with Lichtblick's plots, 3D views, and other panels, and a live WebSocket source — typically one a Zenoh Bridge device exposes — streams data as it happens.

When you'd use it​

Inspect a bag or MCAP file after a run, or watch a device's ROS 2 topics live as Zenoh Bridge forwards them.

Enable or install​

Like other extensions, it can be enabled, disabled, or uninstalled from the Extensions view. It contributes three commands — Visualizer: Open, Visualizer: Open File, and Visualizer: Open Zenoh Source — and a sidebar entry titled Visualizer. Opening a file, or a Zenoh Bridge device's Open in visualizer button, opens this panel automatically if it isn't already.

Key screens​

  • Visualizer panel — a full embedded Lichtblick workspace, with its own layouts, panel plugins, and settings, persisted locally rather than to Lichtblick's usual per-OS location.
  • Opening a file — a file streams into an already-open panel in chunks, up to 1.5 GB; anything larger needs Lichtblick's own in-panel file picker instead. .mcap, .bag, .db3, .ulg, and .ulog are the extensions this extension expects; anything else still opens, with a warning logged, and Lichtblick itself decides whether it can read it.
  • Live Zenoh sources — opens the panel against a live ws:// or wss:// source (Zenoh Bridge's Open in visualizer button supplies this URL).
  • Plugins — Lichtblick .foxe extension bundles can be installed from within the panel; they persist locally alongside their manifests.

Common tasks​

  • Open a recording — Visualizer: Open File, or open one from inside the panel once it's up.
  • Watch a live device — from a Zenoh Bridge device panel, enable and push topic forwarding, then Open in visualizer.
  • Install a Lichtblick plugin — from within the panel; it's available again on restart.

Permissions requested​

commands.register, notifications.show, webview.trustedContent.

Known limits​

  • Opening a file this way tops out at 1.5 GB; larger files need Lichtblick's own in-panel file picker.
  • The extension's own docs list two items as not yet built: a native ROS 1 TCP live source, and org-aware credentials for remote bag access.

Zenoh Bridge — configures the per-device topic forwarding this extension can open live.